Former Wisconsin football player nearly wins kicking competition

Rafael Gaglianone is a notable Wisconsin kicker for a variety of reasons. His ability on the football field is one of them, but he also had a big and funny personality. He even said that he chose Wisconsin over NC State in recruiting because "[I've] been in the South too long." He kicked for Wisconsin from 2014-2018 before he went undrafted after completing his college career. He most recently played in the CFL for the Edmonton Elks in 2022.

His name popped up again recently in a Pro Combine event for kickers, listed as a free agent from Wisconsin. The combine is to showcase the ability of kickers from punting and field goals to kick-offs. This allows players like Gaglianone, who are still working to make a career out of their skill, to showcase their abilities.

Rafael Gaglianone showcased his skills in a combine for kicker free agents

Rafael Gaglianone participated in the Kohl's Pro Combine Final Competitions for field goal kicking. He made it to the final set of players as they each attempted a 68-yard field goal but came up just short on his two tries.

He made a 60-yarder to get to that point but couldn't quite get enough leg on it to make it to 68 yards. However, both tries were between the posts. His accuracy was impressive.

Gaglianone does seem as if he is trying to revive his career and have a shot for an NFL roster. While at Wisconsin he as extremely accurate and in 2018 never missed an extra point. According to his profile on Wisconsin Athletics: "Earned fourth letter, playing in all 13 games ... went 10-for-17 on field goals with a long of 42 yards ... a perfect 48-for-48 on extra points, finishing career with a school-record 166 consecutive made PATs, dating back to his freshman season"

It's a bit of a blast from the past but a name to pay attention to, to see if he can find his way on a professional roster somewhere.